ASHEVILLE, N.C. – According to coach Heath Eslinger, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team has 10 No. 1 seeds in today’s Southern Conference tournament.
Technically, UTC has only two, but that’s not the way the Mocs are looking at it.
“As long as your name is in the bracket, you’re a No. 1 seed,” Eslinger said.
John Lampe (184) and Scottie Boykin (197) are the official top seeds for the Mocs heading into today’s meet at Kimmel Arena. Competition will begin at 10 a.m., and the finals are set to begin at 7 p.m.
The Mocs finished the regular season 12-4 in dual matches, claiming a share of the SoCon championship with Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb by virtue of their 6-1 record in league matches. They moved into the Top 25 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches poll for the third time this season after their win over No. 19 Virginia on Feb. 14.
Today, though, is just as much about the individuals as it is the team race. The SoCon has been allocated 13 spots for the NCAA tournament, with three at heavyweight, two at 157 pounds and one each at the remaining eight weight classes.
“We’re excited,” Eslinger said. “The competition is an opportunity to cash the check you’ve worked for. Any time you get to shake hands and compete, it can be a lot of fun. We’re fresh, we’re ready, and emotionally we’re in a good spot.”
Eslinger said the key to winning will be exceeding expectations at every weight class. Finishing better than the wrestlers’ seeding could be the difference in the Mocs claiming their sixth consecutive conference title and 30th overall.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Eslinger said. “We want to have individual champions so we can go to the NCAA (tournament). We want to get to the NCAA so we can have All-Americans.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.